The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (1962)

A rebellious youth, sentenced to a boy's reformatory for robbing a bakery, rises through the ranks of the institution through his prowess as a long distance runner. During his solitary runs... See full summary »

Director:

Tony Richardson

Writers:

Alan Sillitoe (screenplay), Alan Sillitoe (short story)

Stars:

Michael Redgrave, Tom Courtenay, Avis Bunnage

Won 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview:
Michael Redgrave	...	Ruxton Towers Reformatory Governor
Tom Courtenay	...	Colin Smith
Avis Bunnage	...	Mrs. Smith
Alec McCowen	...	Brown
James Bolam	...	Mike
Joe Robinson	...	Roach
Dervis Ward	...	Detective
Topsy Jane	...	Audrey
Julia Foster	...	Gladys

Storyline

A rebellious youth, sentenced to a boy's reformatory for robbing a bakery, rises through the ranks of the institution through his prowess as a long distance runner. During his solitary runs, reveries of his life and times before his incarceration lead him to re-evaluate his privileged status as the Governor's prize runner.

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Plot Keywords:

running | bakery | money | tower | runner | 

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Genres:

Drama | Sport

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 October 1962 (USA)

Also Known As:

Rebel with a Cause

Filming Locations:

Camber Sands, Camber, East Sussex, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Woodfall Film Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

First film of Julia Foster.

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Goofs

When the boys are doing gardening work one character calls another "you mug" (meaning gullible idiot). This is incorrectly recorded in the subtitles as "you muppet" but the word "muppet" - meaning an idiot - was not in use when the film was made.

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Quotes

Audrey: You'll end up in prison one of these days.
Gladys: If he aint careful.
Colin Smith: It'd get me out of this dump.
Audrey: It ain't the only way to get out of it.

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Connections

Referenced in Mystery Science Theatre 3000: The Incredible Melting Man (1996)

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Soundtracks

"Under the Double Eagle"
(uncredited)
Music by Josef Wagner

User Reviews

Between the 50s and 60s...

I caught this film late at night on cable, and it is the first movie I've seen with Tom Courtenay in it, who is excellent (Either by coincidence or design, King Rat was on only a few nights later).

I'd never heard of this film before, but I was immediately transfixed by its look; something here is remarkable about the way black and white is used to further the overall feel and design of the film.

Having never been to the UK, I don't have a really good sense of how time passes there; to an American, England appears to age barely at all as seen through the cinema. But the themes here and the use of silence and the overall look of the film convey a society in the midst of change; as much as there is here that reminds one of the 1950s, there is an overwhelming 60s theme here about conformity and authority and society which is inescapable. I found myself cheering a bit at the end in the same way I cheered for Paul Newman in Cool Hand Luke; here, as in that film, is the story of an individual who refused to be "broken."

I'd definitely rate this film as a key 1960s film, black and white, and yet thoroughly modern and not at all dated. A lot of care was put into this film from the performances to the camerawork, and while it is not something that would keep you on the edge of your seat, it is certainly a compelling story, compellingly told.